Rockin’ Fig Heritage Placed in Bronze on Huntington Beach Pier – Orange County Register
In a way, Rockin’ Fig will forever look out over his favorite surf spot north of Huntington Beach Pier, where the iconic surfer has caught countless waves in his life. many decade.
A bronze memorial with an image of Rick “Rockin ‘Fig” Fignetti – eyes hidden behind thick bifocals, a goat with a face with an attractive smile and a hat with the name of his surf shop – was announced on Wednesday, February 9. The plaque that reads “Voice of Surfing Huntington Beach” honors the legacy of the famous surfer. who died on July 16.
“This plaque is the greatest gift to my dad, our family and the entire community,” said his daughter, Chanel Fugnetti, who joined her brother Ricky and dozens of family members and friends. gathered to remember.
Along with owning the popular surf shop, Rockin’ Fig Surf Headquarters, on Main Street is now run by his two children, Fignetti (who used a slightly different spelling of his name to match his nickname) has been giving KROQ listeners the morning surf report for 25 years, and for decades, his voice. She echoes across the sands as the host of countless surf competitions and other events.
The placement of the plaque on Lifeguard Tower 0 is perfect not only because it overlooks the ocean, but also because it’s placed above close friend and pastor Sumo Sato, passed away in 2016, Chanel Fugnetti said.
“He loves Huntington Beach so much and he would be delighted to be right here,” Fugnetti told the crowd of her father. “Thanks to everyone who put this together, we are forever grateful.”
Following Fignetti’s death, then-Mayor Kim Carr proposed a pier memorial, which the city did in conjunction with the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council. The city will also continue with Rockin’ Fig Day, scheduled for September 17, Fugnetti said.
Kai Kiaha, a pastor at H20 Church, where Fignetti attends, said the longtime surfer and Huntington Beach community member both enjoy the slow-paced moments – laughing, joking, talking and just hanging out .
“If you walk into his shop, you’re his brother, you’re his sister, you’re his friend,” he said. “And that’s what makes Fig so special.”
His voice is one of hope and has the ability to lift people up, even in difficult times, Kiaha said.
“That’s what I will forever love and cherish about Rockin’ Fig, which speaks to the hope in people’s lives,” says Kiaha. “He will now be forever attached to Huntington Beach, this pier, the place he loves.”
A surfboard memorial was also unveiled, a collage of Fignetti with family and friends.
Mayor Barbara Delgleize read a quote during the ceremony saying that grief is like the ocean, coming in waves.
“Sometimes the water is calm, sometimes it is full,” she said. “All we could do was learn to swim.”
She urges everyone to live as Fig, as he is known around town.
“Life is precious. Let’s continue to live the way Fig did, with kindness and compassion, with laughter and humour,” she said. “We will never forget him and this plaque is proof of his aloha spirit.”
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/02/09/rockin-figs-legacy-set-in-bronze-on-huntington-beach-pier/ Rockin’ Fig Heritage Placed in Bronze on Huntington Beach Pier – Orange County Register